Packing for elastic-fluid turbines.



W. KIESER.

PACKING FOR ELASTIG FLUID TUBBINES.

APPLICATION rum) JAN. 29. 1912.

1,022,788. Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

\Mbnesses: Inventor: Walter- Kieser:

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER KIISER, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

iPACKING FOR ELASTIC-FLUID TT I RBINES.

for preventing the ingress of atmospheric air through said'packing and also for carrying off any excess of waste-steam which may leak through it. To this end the packing is provided with a regulating member which is loaded uniformly and is under the influence of the pressure prevailing in the packing, which regulating member, on the variation of the leakage steam pressure, causes the opening or closure of the conduits leading to a regionof lower pressure on the one hand, and to a region of higher pressure on the other, whereby the load on the re ulating member is so calculated that the lifti'ng thereof takes place only when the leak-- age steam pressure exceeds the pressure of one atmosphere.

It is essential that the packing be never connected at the same time with the two regions of ditlerent pressure. This result is secured according to the invention by reason of the provision that the valves or shut-oil members of the conduits connecting the packing with a region of higher and a region of lower pressure make engagement with a common lever connected with the rod of the regulating member in such a manner that the particular point of rotation thereof coincides with the point of engagement of the valve in its closed position.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of one form of embodiment of my invention. I

1 represents the wall of the casing of a steam turbine at a point where there exists within said casing a stage a of lower pressure. A shaft 2 extends through said wall,

and is provided with a packing or stuiiing box 3 to shut off the external atmospheric pressure. From said packing or stuffing box runs a conduit which has two branches, one of which, '5', is connected with a region of higher pressure, while the other branch 6- coiinects with a region of lower pressure.

Specification of Letters Patent.

with a pipe 9'for the removal of le ge,-

Patented Apr. 9, 1912. '7 Application filed January 29, 1912. Serial No. 673,995.

steam. "Seated upon the open upper 15 f' this pipe is a plate valve 10 which is exposed to the atmospheric pressure on its upper side, its under sidebeing exposed to the pressure of the leakage steam escaping through the pipe 9. This valve is connected to a lever 11 whose other end is fulcrunied to the rod 12 of a motor, comprising preferably a piston 13'working in a cylinder 14. Motive fluid is admitted to the ends of said cylinder through pipes15 controlled by a pilot valve 16 whose stem 17-is pivoted to the lever ll between the valve 10 and the piston rod 12. A'floating lever 18 is pivoted to,the piston rod 12 and to it are pivoted at 19, 20 the stems-of the valves 7, 8. The point of rotation or. fulcrum of this lever-18 lies eitherat the point 19 or20, depending upon which one of the valves 7, 8 is closed.

The operation is as follows: It is assumed, with the parts in the position shown in the drawing, that the steam pressure in the stage a of the turbine has fallen below atmospheric pressure. Therefore the packing, in order to prevent the air from being sucked in, is supplied with steam of higher' pressure through the conduit 5. This steam escapes through the pipe 9 after passing over the packing surfaces of the shaft. It now the steam pressure in the stage a rises, a higher steam pressure also is produced in the pipe 9. The plate valve 10 is therefor-e lifted, and with itthe pilot valve 16, thereby admitting motive fluid to the upper end of the cylinder 14 which forces down the piston 13. -This ulls down the lever 18 also, its fulcrum ing the point 20, because the valve 8 is closed. If this move: ment continues far enough, the valve 7 will be closed and the supply ofhigh pressure steam be cut off from the stuiiing box. If the leakage steam continues to increase in pressure, the further lifting of the plate valve 10 will swing the lever 18 upon the point 19 as aful crum and thereby open the valve 8, so that said steam can escape through the pipes 4, 6 to any desired place; for example a stage of still lower pressure, so as to avoid wasting such steam. If now the pr ssure in tbe'pipe 9 is lessened, the

valve 10 drops and by a reversal of the above-described operations, first the valve 8 is closed and then the live steam valve 7 is again opened.

In. accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the ,apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

- \Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure responsive to the flow of steam through said pipe, and connections-between said plate and said valves.

The combination with a packing, of conduits leading respectively to regions of higher and lower pressure, valves controlling said conduits, a floating lever to which said valves are connected, a motor for actuating said lever, an escape pipe for steam leaking through said stuffing box, a device responsive to the steam flowingthrough said pipe, and means whereby said device controls the motor.

'4. The combination with 'a packing, of conduits leading respectively to regions of higher and lower pressure, valves controllin said conduits, a floating lever to which sai valves are connected, a motor for ac' tuating said lever, the valve which happens to be closed acting as the fulcrumfor said lever, and means responsive to the steam escaping through said packing for controlling said motor.

5'. The combination of a shaft, a packing therefor through which fluid tends to escape,

conduit means connected to the packing and to sources of pressure, one of which is higher than the other, and a device responsive to the pressure of the steam leaking through the packing that causes the conduit to open in alternation. 4

6. The combination of a shaft,a packing therefor, a regulating member which is loaded uniformly, is under the influence ofthe pressure existing in the packing, and moves only when the leakage pressure exceeds that of the atmosphere, conduits connected to the packing and to regions of different pressures, and valve means controlling the conduits, which of themselves are cont-rolled by the said member.

In. witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

' WALTER KIESER. \Vitnesses:

"Enron FETERMANN, BERNARD KUHnow.- 

